Dec. 16, 2006
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – Chad Toppert had career highs with 20 points and six 3-pointers Saturday and New Mexico, with its leading scorer on the bench in the first half, beat North Carolina A&T 86-78.
New Mexico (6-2) never could shake the pesky Aggies (3-6), even after J.R. Giddens got into the game in the second half. Giddens, the former Kansas guard who came in averaging 19 points a game, was benched by New Mexico coach Ritchie McKay for the first 20 minutes and finished with a season low 8 points.
Toppert and Tony Danridge took over the scoring. Toppert hit 6 of 12 3s and Danridge added career highs of 17 points and 6 rebounds with his slashing drives to the basket.
Steven Rush led North Carolina A&T with 28 points. Rush had 6 of the Aggies’ 9 3-pointers and hit 9 of 17 shots overall. The 5-foot-11 Rush connected on 3-pointers from a variety of distances and not even the 6-foot-5 Giddens, who guarded Rush in the second half, could stop Rush.
North Carolina A&T led 37-33 at halftime and New Mexico scored 10 straight points to take the lead for good at 56-48 with just over 13 minutes left. Jamaal Smith and Toppert hit back-to-back 3s, Smith two free throws off a technical called on Aggie guard Glenn Nelson and Daniel Faris scored on a dunk on the Lobos’ possession as part of the technical.
Faris got a technical for hanging on the rim on his dunk and the Aggies got back within 56-52 on two free throws by Rush and a layup by Walter Booth. A layup by Jason Wills Jr. with 9:57 left cut New Mexico’s lead to 60-50, but the Lobos then went on an 8-1 run for a 68-60 lead with 7:13 remaining.
Wills scored 19 points and had 7 rebounds for the Aggies.
Faris had 11 points and 8 rebounds and Smith matched his season high of 15 points.